2011

The U.K. has accused a homeless man of sabotaging packets of painkillers with anti-psychotic drugs, according to recent news sources. The man, who was arrested last week, appeared in court on Monday for charges of contamination of goods and administering a noxious substance. The arrest comes after an investigation beginning in August, when the product… read more

Johnson & Johnson is conducting yet another recall, this time of its Eprex anemia drug, due to a lack of potency, according to recent news sources. The recall affects about 200,000 syringes of the Eprex anemia drug. The drug is sold at the wholesale and pharmacy level. Johnson & Johnson believes most of the product… read more

Researchers have developed a simple test to determine the safety of heparin, a blood thinner, according to news sources. In 2008, several people died and many more were seriously injured after receiving dosages of heparin that had been altered with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS), a synthetic dietary supplement that can be taken to treat osteoarthritis…. read more

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of a particular batch of the drug Frusemide, used as a diuretic, after finding a batch was missing the main ingredient during random testing, according to news sources. The drug, which is used in patients with liver, kidney, and heart problems, was found to have defects… read more

The Food and Drug Administration has announced a safety review of the drug ondansetron, an anti-nausea medication, often prescribed to patients of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and those who have undergone recent surgery. Studies indicate that ondansetron can increase the chances of prolongation of the QT interval of the electrocardiogram, which can lead to irregular heart… read more

A recent study showed that many women are still using a weight-loss product called Pai You Guo that was recalled in 2009 because they never heard about the recall, according to news sources. Pai You Guo is a Chinese product that contains sibutramine and phenolphthalein, both of which are banned. The FDA found that sibutramine… read more

The FDA has stopped a company from distributing amino acid products that they marketed as treatment for neurotransmitter diseases such as Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s, according to news sources. West Duluth Distribution subsidiaries CHK Nutrition and NeuroResearch Clinics were found to be selling products making unapproved claims in July 2010. Besides Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s the products… read more

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals has announced a voluntary recall of several lots of their birth control pills due to a packaging error, according to news sources. Select pill packaging was rotated within the packaging to obscure the lot number and expiration date, as well as reversing the weekly tablet order. Consequently, the daily regimen for the pill… read more

A recent study examines patients and their belief that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only approves safe and effective drugs. The study found that providing more information to consumers can help them make better choices, according to a news article. Two doctors investigated how U.S. consumers make drugs choices through an Internet-based trial of… read more

On Friday, September 9, two panels of the United States Food and Drug Administration will meet to discuss the drug Fosamax and its long term use, and whether the drug should have time restrictions placed on its usage, requiring users to stop using it for certain lengths of time during treatment, according to news reports…. read more

A Johnson & Johnson CEO paid more than any other pharmaceutical company CEO may be forced to pay back a large amount of that compensation in a recent shareholder lawsuit, according to news reports. The CEO in question has been paid more than $150 million since 2006. Shareholders argue that this is “lavish and excessive”… read more

In a press release, the UK-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser announced that they have ceased the production and distribution of their Nurofen Plus due to the suspicion of tampering and sabotage. The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a Class 1 drug alert to consumers and healthcare professionals based on five reported… read more